


Busted

by RedTailedHawkens



Category: Hart of Dixie
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2019-03-17 00:26:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13647552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedTailedHawkens/pseuds/RedTailedHawkens
Summary: A series of unrelated Zade one-shots with a common theme. Originally posted on ff.net in 2012 and 2013.





	1. The Gumbo

 

Chapter One: The Gumbo

Lavon was sitting on the couch watching TV when he heard the door. A clearly agitated Wade came in and shot Lavon a death glare,

"You owe me fifty bucks."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"You heard me." Wade headed over to the cupboard and grabbed a sleeve of Ritz crackers. "Go on and get your wallet. I'll wait."

"Why exactly do I owe you fifty bucks?"

"Because, I took your stupid advice," he said bitterly. He tossed cracker into his mouth, then started counting off on his finger "bought a clean, nice lookin' shirt, twenty bucks, got a haircut, five bucks, gave Zoe Hart a free bottle of wine which will take fifteen bucks out of my paycheck, and all it bought me was a front row seat to watching Zoe give Judson a two and a half minute tongue bath."

"That's only forty."

"Well, the extra ten is for damages to my ego."

"I didn't know your ego could be damaged." Lavon said with a chuckle. Wade, however, was clearly not amused.

"I'll take cash or a check. Your call."

"Wade-"

"Two and a half minutes. Right straight in front of my face. Doc and the vet playin' tonsil tennis. Two and a half minutes."

"You counted?" Wade shrugged. Lavon let out a sigh, "I'm sorry. That … that sucks."

"I don't want your pity or your apologies. I'm a big boy. I can deal."

"Then why you tellin' me?"

"I thought I made that obvious. You owe me fifty bucks." Lavon rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Sure you don't just want to vent. Maybe I can help."

Wade snorted, "Whenever I take your advice, it backfires, okay, I'm either wastin' a night at the airport stuffin' myself sick, or I'm spendin' money on shirts to wear to a little play called Zoe and Judson Make Out a Lot."

Lavon sighed again, "I'll go get my wallet."

"Thank you."

* * *

Zoe was still flying high. She had not kissed anybody in a long time. Well, except Wade, but that didn't count. She had been drunk the first time, and caught by surprise the second, and besides, it was Wade. But kissing Judson, even if she had done it to cover for AnnaBeth, it had been nice. It was a good kiss. A really, really good kiss in fact.

She headed for the main house, eager to share the day's events with Lavon. He wasn't in the kitchen, so she figured she'd check his room. She was about to knock when she heard voices.

" _Who the hell keeps their wallet under their bed?"_

" _We all have are methods, and I can change my mind about the money anytime, so insultin' me ain't that smart." There was a pause, "Listen, I know you don't want anymore advice, but I'm gonna speak my piece anyway."_

" _Lavon-"_

" _Just let me talk, all right. I know that you are goin' to be mighty tempted to be an all around ass to Judson and Zoe, which, while immature, is also your way, but who knows how long she'll even be with Judson? And even if they … I don't know, get married or whatever, it doesn't matter. The fact is, you want to be in her life, you gotta be a friend, even when it's hard. You act like too much of a jerk, you're gonna push her away to the point where she ain't ever comin' back."_

" _The Doc doesn't consider me a friend, okay. At most, she sees me as an annoying neighbor."_

" _Naw, now, don't say that. You two are friends, no matter what you say. Ya'll hang out, three of us share meals, you're friends." Silence. "If you weren't her friend, you never would have made that gumbo back in-"_

" _Hey. Hey. I thought we don't talk about that."_

" _Relax, she's not here. Though how she didn't realize it was you and not me is still lost on me."_

" _Look, me doin' stuff for her makes her my friend, doesn't make me hers."_

" _Well, maybe she just needs an opportunity to, uh, make you some gumbo. Metaphorically speaking of course."_

Zoe stood there, speechless. Wade had made her gumbo. And he didn't think she saw him as a friend. And he had made her gumbo! How did she not know this? Why didn't he tell her? Why didn't he want her to know so badly?

Suddenly, she got an idea, and an evil grin formed on her face. They wanted to keep a secret, fine, but she wasn't going to make it easy for them.

* * *

It took an annoyingly long time for Lavon and Wade to come into the kitchen.

She had all of her ingredients out, and when she heard them coming, she turned around and pretended to look busy.

"Uh, doc, what are you doin'?"

"Cooking." She said, nonchalantly.

"Uh, why?"

"Because, well, you remember that Gumbo contest when I first got to Bluebell, and how I placed second, well, the Gumbo that had my name on it placed second?"

"Uh, yeah." She looked at Wade through the corner of her eye. He had squirmed for a second. That was good. But it was going to get so much better.

"Well, I would like to win for real next year, not just because I have a friend awesome enough to do that for me. So I figure I should start practicing."

Wade chuckled, "No offense doc, but it'll take more'n practice to make you good at makin' gumbo. It'd take a freakin' miracle."

"Hey! I resent that. I am a great cook." Total lie, and she knew it. She did know a few things though, a few what not to dos, like what to avoid putting on or near the burner. Although, for her purposes, screwing up was exactly what she needed to do.

The smoke alarm started to go off.  _Right on cue_ , she thought, and did her best to act panicked.

"Oops."

"Oops?" Lavon asked emphatically, "Oops."

"I got it." Wade said. Once he had taken care of her little (intentional) mishap, she returned to her pot.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Lavon asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"I told you. I'm-"

"No. Nu-uh. Not in my house."

"Lavon, come on, this is important to me."

"And havin' my home not getting burned down is important to me."

"Help me then."

"What?"

"Yeah. You could help me." she summoned up all her enthusiasm, trying to make it sound like she had just come up with the idea, "I mean, you made second place worthy gumbo. You clearly know your stuff. You could teach me."

"Um…" she noticed Lavon and Wade exchange a nervous glance. Good. Very good.

"Come on Lavon, you're my best friend. I'm just asking for a little help."

"Uh, Zoe, this may be a shock to you, but I actually have a life. Not to mention a job. I'm mayor, remember? There is a lot of responsibility that comes with that. I can't just drop everything-"

"I'm not saying drop everything. Schedule some time to work with me at some point this week. You have free time. I know. I've seen you playing videogames. If you have time to do that-"

"Lavon Hayes likes to use his free time to relax, and cookin' ain't exactly-"

"Look, I'm doing this, so either help me, or risk fire trucks parking outside every other day until I get it right."

"You're kidding right?" Zoe shrugged.

"Doc," Wade said, joining the conversation. She could not wait to see what he would come up with, "Cookin' is a skill, it's not as simple as followin' a recipe, especially for somethin' as complicated as gumbo. Either you have a knack, or you don't, and," he chuckled, "you don't."

"You sound like you have some experience in that area. Do you know how to make gumbo Wade?" she was using the most innocent, play-dumb voice she could muster. The look on his face almost made her burst out laughing. She would have to remember to thank her mom for forcing her to take those acting classes in high school, because there was no way she could have made it through this with a straight face otherwise.

"Um, no, not really."

"But you offered to help me."

"I what?"

"Don't you remember? You said your Uncle Mo had a Gumbo recipe, and you offered to help."

His eyes were looking so panicked. Zoe really did not remember the last time she had had this much fun, "Yeah, well, see, when I said that, what I meant was, was that uh, you could, you know, use his recipe."

"But you don't actually know how to make it."

Wade shook his head, "What can I say, our resident Gumbo maker is Lavon. He's the, uh, expert on the stuff."

"Well, if he's that expert, he should have no trouble teaching me."

She turned to Lavon, "Let me know when you can show me. Oh, and if you still haven't found the time by this time next week, I'll just work on it on my own."

She left the room before he could argue, her smirk growing wider with every step she took. When she was out on the porch, she finally let out the giggle she had been suppressing, but then she calmed down as quickly as she could. She could not risk them hearing her, and she did not want to miss anything. After they thought she was gone, they would start to talk, which was exactly why she had downloaded an app that could turn your cellphone into a listening device and charged it this morning. The front door was too thick to just press your ear against.

" _So, what do we do?"_

" _Why you askin' me?"_

" ' _Cause it's your mess. I'm just covering for you."_ Silence,  _"You know, we could just tell her the truth."_

" _Not an option. Okay. Here's what we're gonna do."_ Silence.

" _You plannin' on finishing that sentence?"_

" _Just … just give me a minute, okay."_

Zoe put her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing

" _Okay, here's what we do. We go to all the markets in the area, buy up all the gumbo ingredient, and hide them somewhere. She can't make you teach her if all the stores are out."_

" _Please tell me you're kiddin', because I can think of at least five reasons why that plan would never work."_

" _Okay Mr. Know-It-All, what do you suggest?"_

" _I suggested honesty. You rejected that suggestion."_

" _Yeah, and then I made a suggestion_ you  _rejected, so now it's your turn again."_

" _I stand by my honesty suggestion. In fact, it might even work in your favor, what with the whole Judson situation."_

" _No. I told you, that's not an option."_

" _Why not?"_

" _Because if I wanted her to know, I would have told her already._

" _Okay, and the logic behind that is-"_

" _Look, it's just … it's just not somethin' we're gonna do, all right."_

" _Okay, but you better figure out what we are gonna do, and soon, or else you gonna be payin' for supplies to rebuild my kitchen."_

She heard Lavon head toward the door and as quickly and quietly as she could, started off the porch and over to her carriage house. She could not believe what a big deal they were making of this? Why was Wade so desperate to make sure she never found out? Well, whatever the reason, it was certainly entertaining, and like Lavon, she was eagerly awaiting finding out just what Wade would come up with.

* * *

" _No, I told you, this goes in first. Geez, Lavon, have you ever cooked anything before?"_

" _Hey, we've been up all night, okay. It's almost six. I'm not exactly on my game."_

" _Well, you better get on your game, if you're gonna get good enough at this to teach Zoe."_

" _Wade, I have my talents, ribs, eggs, pancakes, but gumbo ain't my thing."_

" _Which is why we're makin' it your thing. You think I'm not tired."_

So that was the plan, huh? Wade was going to teach Lavon to make the gumbo. Not bad, but she was not letting them off the hook that easy. One way or another, she was getting a confession.

"Good morning." Zoe said as she entered the kitchen. The caught-with-your-hand-in-the-cookie-jar looks they had were priceless.

"You're up early." Wade choked out.

"I could say the same for you two." She headed over to a cabinet and crabbed a coffee mug.

"Yeah, well, we, uh-"

"Are those gumbo ingredients?" She said, pretending to have just noticed the medley of vegetables and the like spread out on the counter.

Wade's eyes went wide, "Um-"

"Oh, that is so sweet."

His eyes what from wide to confusion, "Um, what is?"

"Lavon getting up early to teach me to make gumbo."

"What, uh, what makes you think that's what's goin' on?" Wade asked, shifting uncomfortably. Lavon still hadn't said anything.

"Why else would he be up at five-thirty a.m. with gumbo ingredients spread out? That is so nice Lavon. I knew you would figure out a way to find the time."

She saw the two boys exchange a look.  _That's right, panic, suffer._  Okay, so maybe she was getting a little mean, but they could end this any time they wanted. All they had to do was fess up. If they didn't, well, then they had nobody to blame but themselves.

"Well, um, I guess you two should get started then." Lavon looked at Wade, wide-eyed. Wade gave him a look that said, you have a better idea.

"Hey, why are you up?" she asked, turning to Wade.

"Um, Lavon wanted me here incase you burned the house down or something." His voice was teasing, which meant he was back in his element. That was not okay. She decided to let it slide though. They were her friends after all; it was not like she was trying to hurt them.

"Oh, so you'll be here to burn with it? I guess I can see that. Lavon would be ridding the world of a horrible plague."

"You know, if you do set the house afire, maybe I'll just leave you in it."

Zoe rolled her eyes, then turned to Lavon, "Okay, let's start. What do I do first?"

"We, uh …" she looked at him expectantly. Then, she felt motion behind her, "Oh, we chop."

"Okay, chop what?"

"Um, we chop the uh," Lavon tried to look over her shoulder casually, "vegetables? No, forget that, not the vegetables. We don't chop those we … take pictures of them?"

Zoe looked at him like he was insane, and she had a feeling that behind her, Wade was doing the same.

"I mean, we uh, throw them?" she heard Wade smack his hand on his forehead. It was not hard to figure out what was going on. Charades, huh? Clever … sort of.

"You know, it don't matter what we do with the vegetables now, 'cause we ain't there yet. Right now, we just need to chop the … chicken." This Zoe had to see. She turned around as fast as she could, and Wade did his best to fold his arms as quickly as he could. Still, she had not missed the wing like position they had been in seconds ago.

"What the hell were you doing?" she asked, not even attempting to hide her laugh.

"Don't know what you're talkin' about doc."

She made a show of looking between him and Lavon "You two are really weird sometimes."

* * *

After chopping the chicken, they took care of the vegetables, which apparently had to be diced. As horrible as Wade and Lavon were at this (she made a mental note to never play charades with either of them) they were starting to get into a rhythm. She figured they might, which is why she had been giving Wade drinks of water whenever she could do it casually. It was lucky that gumbo took a long time to make. The subtle hydrating seemed to be working; Wade was starting to squirm. Zoe turned on the faucet and got herself a drink, running it was long as she possibly could without it seeming weird. Wade was trying to look anywhere but the faucet, and he looked slightly pained, "You okay Wade?" she asked casually.

He shrugged, "Sure."

_Uh-huh. Right._  "You want a drink?"

"I'm good, thanks."

"You're not thirsty?"

"Nope."

"Because you look a little pale, and nothing is better for that than a nice cool glass of water."

"I'm really fine."

"You shouldn't let yourself get dehydrated. As a doctor, I can't allow it."

"Trust me doc, dehydration is not my problem." He squirmed again. She knew that as much as he did not want to leave Lavon on his own to handle her, he would not be able to hold it in much longer.

She headed back for the faucet, "Well, I'll get you a glass, and if you don't want it, you don't have to drink it."

"Doc-" he started, put then she turned the knob, and she saw his resolve crumble, "Um, I'll be right back."

"What?" Lavon asked, turning to him.

"I gotta, um, go."

"Where?"

Wade gave him a look, "To China. Where do you think? My bladder's about to burst here."

Lavon looked conflicted.

"Okay." Zoe said. Lavon winced, "What, it's not like we need him here. He's just standing there gulping down glasses of water. If I start a fire, we can scream. The bathroom isn't on another planet."

"Thanks doc." Wade said, and didn't wait around for Lavon to say anything. Zoe giggled.

"What so funny."

"Oh, nothing." She said nonchalantly, "So, let's get back to work. What do I do next?"

"Uh …"

* * *

Wade put the fire extinguisher down, "There, it's out." He looked annoyed. "How did this happen."

"I swear, I did exactly as Lavon told me." and she had, but she was not very surprised that things had gotten out of hand. Lavon clearly knew nothing about making Gumbo.

Wade sighed, "Not your fault. Could have happened to anybody."

Zoe nodded, "I appreciate that. Although, it's strange, because everything was going so well before, despite some of the bizarreness of some of Lavon's instructions."

Wade nodded, "Guess it's just one of those things, you know. Some stuff just happens, nothin' anybody can do about it."

"Well, there would have been one way to avoid it."

"Yeah, what's that?"

"Next time, instead of coming up with such a ridiculous ruse, you two could just tell me the truth about who actually made my gumbo, and then none of this would have happened." Wade stared at her, his mouth open, "Also, next time you want to keep a secret, and you decide to talk about it, don't just assume I'm not home. Check." Wade kept looking at her, utterly stunned, "I'm going to go wash up. See you guys later."

She headed out the door, unable to suppress her smile (not that she wanted to) as Wade just stood there dumbstruck.

* * *

She came into the kitchen, freshly showered, and found Wade rinsing some of the dishes. She headed over to him and picked one up. Then she grabbed the dish soap.

"That was mean, doc." He said, once he noticed her there. He didn't sound angry though.

"Well, that's why I thought I'd help clean up. Peace offering."

Wade nodded, "Fair enough."

"Still, you have to admit, you kind of brought it on yourself. I mean, I gave you a million opportunities to come clean. All you had to do was tell me, and we could have avoided this whole thing."

"Yeah, but then you wouldn't have gotten to have your little laugh, so in a way, I did you a favor."

Zoe laughed, "Hey, now that the cats out of the bag, can I ask you something."

"Shoot?"

"Why'd you do it? I mean, we weren't even friends yet then."

"Yet? As in we're friends now?"

"I just put you through hell and now we're talking amicably. If we're not friends, we're both out of our minds."

"Well, I know one of us is."

"So? Why'd you do it?"

Wade shrugged, "You'd had a rough first couple weeks, made a lot of enemies, lost credit for that arm thing. You had been drivin' yourself crazy over that dumb competition. I figured you deserved a break."

"Why didn't you just tell me then?"

Wade sigh, then put down the dish he was cleaning and turned to her, "Doc, what do you remember about that week?"

"Um, I saved a guys arm, got bit by a snake, got a new receptionist, and got my first patient."

"Uh-huh. And what about our little interactions? What do you remember about those?"

"Um, you got me bitten by a snake?" He winced a little, "Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No, you're right. I did. And I'm sorry about that." She smiled, "Anything else?" She shook her head, "You remember your little catchphrase?"

"I had a catchphrase."

Wade nodded, "I mean, you changed it up a little each time, but the gist was the same." She looked at him, waiting, "must have been, five, six times in three days you said to me the words, 'Wade, I don't need your help.'" Her eyes widened, and she mouthed the word, oh, "I mean, sometimes you'd leave my name out, but there was a lot of 'I don't need your help' 'I don't want or need your help,' and my personal favorite, 'I don't need your advice, help, or Alabama lovin'.' " Zoe smirked. She didn't remember that one, but she could definitely see herself saying it. "Let's just say I got the point."

"But if you had told me, then I might have-"

"Then it would have been about me tryin' to prove a point or gettin' you to admit you needed me or … I don't know, gettin' some sort of gratitude. That wasn't why I did it. I just wanted to help. You know, make things a little better for you. Get you to … smile or whatever." He figured he had said too much, so he went back to the dishes. They were almost done anyway.

Zoe took in what he had said, what he had done for her, and she smiled. She put down the dish she had been working on, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed Wade on the cheek. Then she put the dish in the drying rack. Wade stood there frozen for a second, "Why did … what was that for?"

She shrugged, "Guess I just wanted to … make things a little better for you. Get you to smile." He looked at her, slightly dazed, "Goodnight Wade."

She started to head for the door, but before she opened it, she turned around. He was watching her, this strange, sort of goofy look on his face. For some reason that she didn't understand, it made her heart jump a little, "And Wade."

"Yeah doc?"

"Thanks."


	2. The Airport

 

"Well, I guess that's it." Zoe said with a yawn. It was almost midnight, and she was dead tired, but if this restored Caleb's faith in fairytales, it would be worth it. "Thanks for helping me with this."

Lavon looked at her affectionately, "You did good Z. I'm proud of you."

"What can I say? Bluebell's made me soft."

"Well, I liked that Zoe Hart who came here sayin' I was robbed in '06, but the Zoe Hart you becomin', the Zoe Hart that did this, well, she's a million times better."

"That was a compliment, right?" Lavon nodded and chuckled.

"Kind of weird Wade's not back yet."

"I guess he's still at the airport." Zoe said with a shrug.

"Airport? Why would Wade be at the airport?"

"To see his friend." Lavon looked at her, confused, "that's why he was driving me instead of you, right? Because he was going to see his friend anyway?"

Realization dawned on his face, "Oh, right, yeah, his friend. Guess I forgot."

Okay, something was off. Lavon was acting … weird. She decided to try something, just to see, "Yeah, the girl who works at the ticket booth, who he goes down there to visit all the time."

"Right, yeah, the ticket girl."  _Bull's-eye!_

"Oh, so you've met her?"

"Sure, once or twice. Nice girl. Nice girl."

"Anything going on there? Are her and Wade … ?"

"Um, not to my knowledge."

"Well, hey, maybe you could ask her out then. I mean, she's probably pretty, and she must be nice if she can put up with Wade."

Lavon chuckled, "I'll, uh, consider it."

Zoe nodded, "All right. Goodnight Lavon."

* * *

She had helped a kid, enjoyed the fish fry, and even dressed up. Not bad for her first Planksgiving. She plopped down on the couch and turned on the T.V. the parade was over, but she'd set the T.V. to record it.

Wade came in a few minutes later.

"What's this?"

She smiled. He'd seen it, "Oh, just something for your friend."

"My friend?"

"Yeah, the one who works at the airport. It sucks to have to work thanksgiving, so I thought I'd give him a care package."

"Oh, well, that's nice of you I guess. I'm sure he'll appreciate it." he didn't seem particularly interested, which may or may not be a good thing.

Zoe nodded, "And, he's the bag guy? I mean, that's what you called him, right Wade?"

"Uh, yeah."

"So, just to clarify, this bag guy is a guy, meaning male, not female, who works for the baggage department at the airport?"

Wade looked at her like she was an idiot, "That would be the general idea."

"Hm, well, just let me know when you're ready to go."

"Go where?"

She paused the parade, stood up, and headed over to the kitchen area where Wade was standing, "The airport. I told you, I wanted to bring him a care package."

"I can bring it. You don't need to go to any trouble."

"Oh, I don't mind. Besides, I want to meet him."

"Why?"

"Because I do."

"What … wait, is that why you were askin' if he was a guy? You want to hook up with him. Cause, you know, if you're lookin' for a random hookup … "

"Not everything is about sex. People should not be alone on the holidays. This guy is stuck in a smelly airport, away from his family, watching people get off the plane and having tearful reunions while he has to work. I'm just trying to be friendly."

"And you don't think sex is friendly?" he smirked, "Well, I guess that says something about the guys you've been with."

"You're such a jerk." He shrugged, unbothered by her comment, "Look, I am not interested in dating, making out, or hooking up with your friend."

"Hey, no judgment doc. It's the holidays. People get lonely, and lord knows, you've had quite the dry spell."

"How would you know?"

"One, most everybody in town hates you, " she scoffed, "so it's not like you'd get a lot of action here. Two, I live right across the way; I would have noticed if you had nighttime company. And three, as the towns resident player, I've learned how to tell when a girl needs it, and just how badly."

"Please." She said, scoffing.

"It's been what, seven and a half weeks?" Zoe starred at him, gaping a little.  _How the hell did he … ?_ He smiled, "See? It's a gift."

"I … I never said you were right." she sputtered out.

"You didn't have to. You got a horrible poker face doc."  _Really. Well, we'll just see about that._

"Look, I don't want to meet your friend for that reason, but as long as you give me a lift, you can think what you want."

"Unfortunately, I'm pretty busy today. Don't know if I'll have time to take you." He was trying to be nonchalant, but she could tell he was getting nervous. And after his comment about her sex-life, she really wanted to see him squirm.

"Oh, well, I guess I could just go by myself."

He looked at her, "But, you don't know what he looks like or anythin'." His tone was neutral, but she could see the slight panic in his eyes.

"Yeah, but since you're there so often visiting him, they must know you. I'll just say I'm a friend of Wade's. I'm sure they'll point me in the right direction."

"Yeah but … wait, we're friends?"

"You said 'my friend, the bag guy.' "

"No, I meant … you said you'd say you're Wade's friend. We're friends?"

Ouch. That hurt, "Aren't we?"

"Well, I wasn't sure."

"Oh." She tried to hide her disappointment, her hurt, but she guessed she did not do a very good job.

"No, I just meant … I don't mind us bein' friends or anythin'. I just thought you didn't want … wouldn't want to be. Friends, that is."

"What are we, in kindergarten? We need to ask to be friends? What, do we seal the deal by me giving you my animal crackers?"

"Well, that depends. Are animal crackers a metaphor for something?"

She slapped him, but he just smirked, "I guess I'll get ready to go." She turned and started to head out.

"Wait." Zoe paused, then turned, "Um, I'll, um, I'll drive you. I just need to take care of a couple things."

"Okay."

"Okay."

* * *

"Zoe." Zoe looked up at Lavon's voice. She had the rest of the day off, what with Tha … sorry,  _Planksgiving_ , and all, so she had decided to relax and read until Wade was ready to take her to the airport.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Z, I think I gave you some wrong information. See, remember that girl from the airport?" she nodded, "Well, um, she's not Wade's friend, or, not really. She's a friend of mine. I was just confused. Truth is, I don't know his airport friend, but I know he goes down there, so…" he shrugged.

Zoe smirked and put her book down, carefully marking the page. So, Wade had asked Lavon to cover for him.  _Nice try buddy. I wasn't born yesterday._

"Wade talked to you I take it?"

"What?" Lavon said, laughing as though it was absurd, "About what?"

"About the bag guy?"

"Bag guy, huh? Is that what his friend does?"

"Come on, Lavon, there is no friend, and you know it."

"No, no there is-"

"Well, if there is, then Wade can prove it to me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get back to enjoying my book."

She picked her book back up, and Lavon headed out.

* * *

"So, let me get this straight, instead of just comin' clean with Zoe, and tellin' her the truth, you are going to pay some random guy to say he's your friend?"

"Yes, and stop using that condescendin' tone, all right. This whole thing is your fault anyway."

Lavon sighed. He loved Wade like a brother, but sometimes he could be so … difficult, "Wade, she knows somethin's up. Don't you think it'd be easier to just come clean?"

"And what do I tell her when she asks why I lied?" Lavon didn't say anything, "Exactly."

"Zoe's stubborn as a mule, she ain't gonna let this go. Remember that whole Leon mercy thing? Whole town thought she was crazy, but she kept goin' at it."

"Well, he kept poppin' up at her window. Anyway, this is different. She can have doubts or suspicions, but unless she has solid proof to back up her claim, I don't have to admit to anything."

Lavon shrugged, "Boy, I always thought you was crazy, but when you're in love, you are a million times more-"

"Hey, hey, hey now. Don't go throwin' that word around, okay? It's kind of extreme." Lavon looked at him skeptically, "Look, I'll admit, I may have … an interest, in Zoe Hart, but that doesn't automatically translate into l … l … that word."

Lavon couldn't help but laugh, "You can't say the word love."

"Shut up."

* * *

"Well, here we are."

"I see that," Zoe said, looking around the airport, "So … where's your friend."

"He is … right over there."

He pointed to a blonde guy over by the bags. Interesting. "Well. Aren't you going to introduce me?"

"Sure thing doc." Wade said, trying to sound as though this was no big deal, even though his palms sweating like crazy.  _This had better work_. "Mark, uh, this is Zoe, my neighbor."

"Nice to meet you Zoe." Mark said, holding out his hand. She looked at it like it was some sort of magic trick or optical illusion, but finally, she stuck her hand out and shook his, "Likewise. Happy Thanksgiving." She handed him the care package she had made, which he took gratefully, "There's a turkey sandwich, some cranberry sauce, a small bottle of orange juice-"

"This was very thoughtful. Thank you."

Zoe shrugged, "Well, nobody should be alone on Thanksgiving." She turned to Wade, "I brought something for Lavon's friend to, she works at the ticket booth. Do you know her?"

Lavon's cover story. Maybe Zoe had bought it after all, despite what Lavon had said, "Um, I never met her, but I can try and track her down,"  _and pay her off. You know, I think Lavon should split half the cost. This whole airport thing was his idea in the first place._

"Thanks."

Wade smiled, gave his signature two-finger salute, and went off in search of another airport staffer who could use some extra cash.

_Good_ , Zoe thought. With Wade gone, she might be able to get some answers from this guy. _Time to see if he really knows Wade,_  "I hope that's not to awkward for him."

"What isn't?"

"Finding that girl. You must know how shy he gets talking to girls, especially ones he doesn't know. Can't really string two sentences together."

"Um, yeah. To bad, he's a good guy."

Zoe laughed, "He's a big fat liar."

"What?"

"So what did he do, pay you or something?"

"I don't-"

"Any real friend of Wade's, or hell, anybody who knew him for more than a day would know that he is a classic womanizer. The only problem he has talking to girls is that it takes up time before he can get in their pants. He is so the opposite of shy."

"Well doc, I couldn't find her." Wade said as he approached them, "Guess she's not workin' today. But hey, maybe Lavon can introduce you two sometime."

Zoe turned to him, exasperated, "You are unbelievable, you know that?"

"What?"

"Next time you want somebody to pretend they know you, give them a little more background information. At least basic stuff, because your story took mere seconds to crumble." Wade gave Mark a look, but the guy just shrugged.

"Look, maybe we're not close-close, but-"

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Excuse me?"

"You keep covering lies with lies. Why can't you just admit it, instead of going through all this craziness? And while we're on the subject, why lie about it anyway?" Wade stood there, not sure what to say, "You know what, forget it. You don't even care, do you? Everything is a big game to you. You'll just lie your ass off to your friends for a laugh."

"You think I did this for a laugh? I'm out thirty-five bucks 'cause of this."

"Thirty-five?" She turned to Mark, "Really?" he just shrugged.

"Would you get out of here? You're lucky I'm not asking for the money back."

Mark hurried away before Wade changed his mind.

"I'm going too." Zoe said, the anger still plain in her voice. Wade followed her out of the airport. She tried to out walk him, and she was pretty fast, but he caught up to her in the parking lot.

"Zoe, come on." He grabbed her arm and turned her to face him, "Can't we just forget about this?"

"I just don't get it. Why did you lie to me?"

"Because."

"Very enlightening. I feel much better." She started to walk off again.

"I drove us here, so you're gonna have to go with me eventually."

She stopped and turned again, "I called Lavon. Said you got a flat."

"And you're gangin' up on me for lyin'." He said, trying to make light of the situation.

"Hey, at least I had a reason." She responded, angry as ever.

"I had a reason." Wade said quietly.

"Which was what Wade?" No answer. She started off again.

He couldn't let her just walk off. Not like this. He took a deep breath, "Wait." She stopped and turned. This was his last chance though, she told herself. She was not going to stop again. "Maybe … maybe I wanted to take you to the airport."

_What? What sense did that make?_ "Why?"

"Maybe I wanted to talk to you about something."

"We see each other everyday for breakfast." She said, looking at him skeptically.

"Yeah, well, maybe it's something that ain't so easy for me to talk about. Maybe I didn't know how you reacted, figured if you didn't like what I had to say, you could just get on the plane, and when you got back, we could just pretend it never happened."

She looked at him, confused. He knew he probably wasn't making any sense, but he also knew that he could not let her walk away. He was getting somewhere; he was close to doing something he never though he would have the guts to do, and he did not know if he would ever be this brave again. It was now or never. This was his one shot, "Maybe I wanted to tell you that I … that I …" he couldn't do it, couldn't say the words. And she was staring at him with those beautiful eyes of hers, waiting for him to speak. But Wade was not good with words. He never had been. He was a man of action, "Aw, hell," before she had a chance to say or do anything, he was kissing her. He tried to put it all into that kiss, everything he was feeling. She had to feel it too right? Had to feel what this kiss meant to him? She had to be able to tell that this was more than just him kissing a girl. He needed her to know. He put everything he could into that kiss, and for a few blissful moments, he felt the bliss of her lips on his. He was getting to taste her for the first time in months, and it was even better than he remembered. But then, like the last time they had kissed, she pulled back. She looked confused, and he could not help but feel disappointed. He had tried so hard to make it clear with that kiss, "What are you doing?"  _Whoa._ Déjà vu.

"I'm tryin' to convey somethin' doc. Somethin' I don't quite know how to say."

"Well," she struggled a bit. That was a good sign. She was flustered. It must have meant  _something_  to her. She must have felt  _something,_  even if it couldn't begin to compare to what he was feeling. "Well try."

"I've been tryin'. You think I'd sleep on a lumpy couch all night for just anyone? Or chauffeur just anyone around town all the time without ever getting so much as a thank you? You think I like searchin' the woods for crazy ghost seein' doctors or stayin' up all night to make my Uncle Mo's gumbo?" her eyes widened, "Yeah, that was me. And you know what else? Sometimes, I blow the fuse box on purpose, just 'cause I want an excuse to see you. Because even when you are yellin' at me, bein' grouchy and mean, or annoyin' and self absorbed, even when you are insultin' me and tellin' me to go to hell, you are still the most amazin' woman I have ever met, and bein' around you just makes me feel like … like …" he wanted to go farther. He really did. He just couldn't. He had already bared his soul more than he ever had in his entire life, and he had done it to the only person who could crush it with a single word.

Except she didn't say a single word. Instead, much to his surprise, she pulled him in, and they were kissing, and it was the most amazing experience of his life. He didn't know how long they stood like that, in the parking lot. They must have been quite a sight to see, but he didn't care. All he cared about was that she was kissing him, and he felt like, well, like that scene in the Jeremy Sumpter  _Peter Pan_ , right after Wendy kisses Peter; he felt like that. He felt like Peter Pan having been kissed by the girl of his dreams, just when he though all hope was lost.

When they stopped kissing, gasping for breath, he still held her close to him, unwilling to let her go, "See, you can say it," she said in between heavy breaths. Wade laughed. Then, he noticed somebody watching them from inside a car.

"How long you been there?" he asked. Zoe turned to see who he was talking to, and laughed.

"Long enough. Ya'll still need a ride."

Zoe shook her head, a giddy look on her face, "Thanks, but I actually have a chauffeur. And I think it's about time I properly thanked him."

"Absolutely doc." Wade said smiling, "About time."

 


	3. The Wine

"It really isn't that bad." Zoe said as Candice Hart looked skeptically down at her  _fried_  food. Zoe had decided to show her mom around Bluebell. She wanted her mom to understand why she needed to be here, and that it was okay, that she was okay. It was going … as was to be expected. The tour of town hadn't done much, and dinner at The Rammer Jammer, the local bar where most everything was friend or greasy was not doing much to alleviate her mother's anxiety about her daughter living here.

"Look, it's only for a year. Besides, it's kind of starting to grow on me." for some reason, her mind flashed to that night a few weeks back when Wade had asked her to get a drink. Wade was kind of like Bluebell. At first, horrible; she could not stand either one. But then, they started to grow on her. And maybe Bluebell growing on her had a little to do with Wade growing on her.

No, that was crazy, she told herself.

Shelley came over with the bill. Zoe got out her credit card and was about to sign it, when she noticed something, "Um, Shelley, I think there's been a mistake."

She showed Shelley the bill, "No, that's right."

"It lists the wine as twenty bucks, but we each only had one glass."

"Yeah, that's why it's twenty. Ten plus ten."

"What are you talking about? Since when is the wine ten dollars?"

"Since forever."

"That doesn't make any sense. I come here and have wine three, four times a week."

"Really?" her mother asked. She could here the judgmental tone, but she just scoffed and rolled her eyes. Like she had any right to judge people for their drinking habits.

"Anyway, the wine's always been 4.50."

"No, it's always been ten."

"Then how come-?"

"Look, I hardly thought it would be to steep for a doctor, but-"

"Oh no, I'm not trying to … I'm happy to pay, I'm just … confused."

Just then, Wade came out from the back. _Wow, he looks good in that shirt._  Okay, where did that come from? Ever since Christmas, she'd been having these weird … well, that was a different weird issue for a different weird time.

"Wade, hey." He turned to her and smiled. It wasn't his signature smirk, but an actual smile, like he was genuinely happy to see her.

He came over, "Dr. Hart, Mrs. Hart."

"It's … nice to see you again." Zoe's mom said in a voice that clearly implied the opposite. Zoe just rolled her eyes again.

"Listen, maybe you can help us out. Shelley just gave us the bill, and she says the wine has always been ten bucks," Wade's eyes grew wide, and he looked a little uncomfortable, "but you always only charge me 4.50."

"Oh, sweetie, Wade's the one gives you the discount? Why didn't you say so? That explains everything." Shelley said. Wade shot her a death glare, which she ignored.

"It does?"

"Sure. You're you, and he's him."

"And how does that explain everything exactly?" Shelley just chuckled. Then she turned to Wade.

"You cover the rest right, because you can't just give a girl a discount 'cause you-"

"Yeah. I cover it." Wade said, cutting her off. He was not exactly sure where she was going, but he was afraid to find out. Shelley just shrugged and walked off.

Zoe looked up at Wade, who was squirming a little, "You've been giving me a discount?"

"Well," Wade said, shrugging, as though that explained everything.

"Why didn't you … I mean, I would have been happy to pay full price. You don't have to cover my drinks."

"I know that doc." He said.

"Then why … ?"

Wade shifted a little, then relaxed. His smirk was back in place, "Well, I said I wanted to buy you a drink."

Zoe laughed, "Yeah, a couple of weeks ago, but I've been coming here for months."

"Guess I was practicing."

Before Zoe could respond, Wade headed back to the bar.

Zoe just shook her head. A few months back, she would have been utterly baffled, but she was learning to dismiss certain things as Wade just being Wade.

"That boy likes you."

Zoe turned. She had forgotten her mother was there, "What?"

Her mother nodded in Wade's direction, "You have an admirer."

Zoe burst out laughing, "You think Wade likes me. Please. If we are settling for only maiming each other, it's a good day."

"He was flirting with you."

Zoe shook her head, "Wade flirts with everybody. Well, everybody female … although, some guys might not mind."

Candice Hart shook her head, "I don't know. I think it's more than that."

"Mom, come on, you've only met him twice."

Candice nodded, "True. But I know men."

Zoe snorted, "I'll say."

Her mother shot her an icy look, "So you're telling me that nothing is going on."

Zoe nodded, even though a part of her wondered. Was something going on? Was her mother right? Her mind drifted to the yet to be brought up again rain check, and the hopeful look in Wade's eyes when he had asked to buy her a drink. Maybe …

"If you say so." She heard the skepticism in her mother's voice, but was glad she had decided to drop the topic.

* * *

Wade was tuning his guitar when he heard the knock on the door. He opened it, to discover Zoe carrying a six-pack.

"What the hell?"

"There's more in the car." She said, walking past him, "I just couldn't carry them all in."

"Come on in doc." He said sarcastically.

"I didn't know what kind you liked, but I thought generic was a safe bet … considering." He couldn't help but smile, knowing what she was referring to.

"Um, what is this about exactly?"

"All the drinks I owe you."

He laughed and shook his head, "Doc, if I wanted you to pay me back, would have told you I was doin' it."

"Why didn't you? And why did you do it in the first place? I mean, it's not like ten bucks is all that steep."

"I don't know, you're a pretty frequent customer. It could add up." He said with a smirk.

Zoe couldn't help but smile too. Wade had such a strange sense of humor, but just like everything else about Wade, it was surprisingly appealing, "Wade, come on."

He shrugged, "Look, I don't really know why I did it. You were new in town, and things were going to hell for you-"

"And you thought saving me five bucks would make it all better?"

"Like I said, I don't really know. Maybe I felt bad that we didn't sell that high-class wine you like so much, and you had to settle for what Bluebell had to offer. Anyway, after I started, I couldn't really take it back. It's not that big of a deal"

Zoe smiled, "Well, thanks. I'll pay you back."

"Don't you dare."

She laughed, and then turned to leave, "Zoe?"

"Hm?"

He cleared his throat nervously, "You wanna, maybe, stick around? Have some beer or whatever?"

She thought about it for a minute, then shrugged, "Well, its not like I have anything better to do tonight."

"Gee, thanks doc."

She laughed again, and sat down on the couch with him. She noticed she had been doing that a lot lately, the laughing, not the sitting on his couch. Around Wade, it was easy to laugh. At him, with him, in spite of him.

He handed her a beer and she took a sip.

"It's not wine doc, you can't sip it all dainty like. You got to really throw it back."

Zoe laughed and shook her head, "What, are you trying to get me drunk or something?"

Wade shrugged, "Maybe."

They sat there like that for a while, drinking beer in comfortable silence.

"Wade?"

"Hm?"

"Just for the record, I don't think like that anymore." He looked at her curiously, "What you said about settling, well, I think Bluebell might have more to offer than I thought."

She looked at him. He looked like he was going to make a smart comment, but then their eyes met. He saw how she was looking at him, and he got that maybe she wasn't just talking about alcohol options. Maybe she was talking about something else. Before he could lose his nerve, he leaned over and kissed her. He was surprised when she kissed him back, but thrilled, definitely thrilled. It wasn't a big make out session. It was just a simple, sweet kiss. But it was enough.

When they pulled away, she was smiling. It was a sweet, simple smile, and he liked it. He chuckled a little, which made her face drop slightly.

"What?"

"Nothin', doc. It's just, uh, you've got generic beer breath."

She burst out laughing. Her mom might not think Bluebell was good enough, it may have too much fried food and no high-class wines, but it had Wade Kinsella, and Zoe was beginning to realize that maybe that was enough.

 


	4. The Shirt

 

The second Zoe left the room, Wade's face fell. It wasn't that making out with Joelle wasn't fun, but it was a little boring. He would never say it out loud, but deep down he knew (and so did Lavon) that the only reason he had asked Joelle to come over yesterday was because Zoe was with Dr. Perfect. He really hated that guy. In fact, he did not know it was possible to hate somebody this much. He hated him even more than he hated Todd Gainey Jr.

When Joelle proposed body shots, the only thing he could think was that if he mentioned the idea of body shots to Zoe, she would make that cute face she made when she thought he was being gross and immature. Eventually, he just made up some excuse getting Joelle to leave. If Zoe wasn't around, there was really no real point in fooling around with Joelle.

Wade groaned as he pushed his hair back.

"You okay?" he turned, surprised.

"I thought you left."

"I did. But I forgot something." Wade nodded, "So, are you?"

"Am I what?"

"Okay."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Zoe shrugged, "Well, I ran into Joelle on my way back, and she said you blew her off and turned down body shots, and now you're here groaning."

"Well, maybe I'm regretting my decision." Wade said smirking.

Zoe just rolled her eyes and went to grab something from over by the couch, "Listen, I know we tease each other, but, you know I care about you, right?"

Wade's head snapped up, surprised, "Uh, what?" it was all he could think to say.

"Just, you know, if something's going on, if you're upset, I'm here. We may not be the best of friends, but if you need to talk…"

Wade nodded, "Thanks Doc. I appreciate it."

* * *

Wade couldn't believe it. Zoe and Judson weren't together. It was just some dumb secret girl thing. He didn't really care about the details. The important part was that Zoe was single. He still had a shot!

He started putting on the new shirt he got; he had to be at The Rammer Jammer in thirty minutes for his shift, but he needed to make sure he was ready for in case Zoe came by. He was adjusting the collar when he heard a knock.

Turning, he saw Joelle standing looking at him.

"Well, doesn't someone look fancy? You got a weddin' to go to?"

Wade shook his head, "Just work."

"Well, in that case, you can afford to get roughed up a bit before you leave. I personally think that shirt would look better off you."

* * *

Zoe groaned. The car was stalling. Again. And she had to get to Mobile to pick up the package of shampoos she had shipped from New York, or they would get sent back. She knew she could have had them delivered to the house, but after the whole gumbo thing, she did not even want to think what Burt Reynolds would do to her fancy shampoos. Besides, now that her and AnnaBeth were coming 'out of the closest' she wanted to commemorate the occasion. She wanted to get AnnaBeth something special, and the shopping options in Bluebell were fairly limited.

She supposed she could ask Wade for a ride. His shift started in about twenty or thirty minutes, but maybe she could catch him before he left. Besides, it wasn't like he was known for being punctual.

She headed across the pond and was about to knock when she heard somebody who wasn't Wade,  _"-before you leave. I personally think that shirt would look better off you."_

Gross Zoe thought. It was probably Joelle. She so did not want to hear this. She was about to turn and leave when Wade spoke, and what he said stopped her in her tracks.

" _I appreciate the offer, but I don't think that's really a good idea."_

Wade was turning down sex? Was he sick? Zoe was completely mystified.

" _Geez, what is with you? One second you're all hot and heavy, next you go stone cold?"_

Zoe heard Wade sigh,  _"Listen, Joelle, you're a very attractive girl, and you deserve way better than me. Truth is, I'm not really interested. It's not you're fault. Like I said, you are very attractive, I'm just …"_

_Just what?_  Zoe thought. She didn't know why she was so interested; she felt like she was watching one of those Soap Operas where you're on the edge of your seat every second. Not that she ever watched those.

" _Just what?"_ Zoe heard Joelle ask.  _Well, that was convenient._ Except Wade didn't answer _, "If you're not interested, why were you so into it this mornin'? Now you're dressed up all fancy in a brand new shirt and you just want to get away from me. What, is there someone else or something?"_

Zoe didn't hear anything, and figured Wade wasn't going to answer, but then he did,  _"Yeah. Yeah there is."_

" _And you met her in the past twelve hours? Because that's how long it's been since we were goin' at it."_  The girl sounded bitter. Zoe didn't exactly blame her.

" _No, it ain't like that. Truth is, I've known her for a while. And I thought she was seein' this guy, so I -"_

" _So what, you were just usin' me to make her jealous?"_ She sounded pissed. Zoe was almost scared for Wade, but more curious, which is why she didn't intervene.

" _I'm sorry. Like I said, you deserve better."_

" _You're damn right I do!"_  After a beat, she spoke again,  _"Who is this slut of yours?"_

" _Hey, she's not a slut, okay! There's no call for that."_

" _Like hell there isn't! Some skank suddenly decides you're good enough because I enter the picture-"_

" _I never said she decided-"_

" _Oh, so you're dumpin' me and you're not even with the slut!"_

" _That's enough!"_ Zoe was surprised by how angry he sounded, and judging by the lack of comeback, she guessed Joelle was too, _"Look. I'm sorry I used to make someone jealous and to make myself feel better; that was wrong. But she didn't do anythin' to you. She is completely innocent in all of this. She is not a slut, or a skank, and if you ever call her those things again,"_ he trailed off,  _"She doesn't even know how I feel, okay, she doesn't even notice me. She's too busy with her lawyers and her vets."_

_Whoa. Did he just say?_  Her eyes widened. _Calm down, Zoe, it's probably just a coincidence. There's no way he actually meant …_

" _I just know that, well, regardless of how she feels, I know how I feel. And that's why I can't do anything with you. And why I don't want to. It's not about you, I just, I don't want anybody but her. She's the only person I've ever known who I would buy a new shirt to impress, the only person who has ever stuck in my head like this no matter how annoyin' she is or how unlikely I know it is for a witty, smart, educated, sophisticated, traveled girl like her to end up with a guy like me. So many people have called me immature over the years, but she's the only one who ever made me want to change. She's … she's everything."_

Zoe's hand flew to her mouth. There was no getting around it; he was talking about her. She called him immature twenty times a day, and there weren't many traveled women in Bluebell. Most had never even left town, let alone Alabama. Plus he had said annoying, which was a key indicator to who he meant. She couldn't believe it. He sounded so sincere. How long had he felt this way? Did he really think all that about her, that she was witty and smart and sophisticated? That she was this amazing person who was out of his league?

She made her way back to her carriage house. Her shampoo could wait, and she could get AnnaBeth something in town. In fact, she had the perfect idea, and she would go out and get it when she could. Right now though, she just needed some time to digest this.

* * *

When she walked into The Rammer Jammer, her eyes went to Wade immediately. AnnaBeth's rejection may have made her miserable, but it did not erase the memory of what Wade had said earlier. She made her way to the bar and was about to order when she noticed the cut above Wade's eye.

"What happened to you?" she asked.

When he looked at her, confused, she motioned to the spot above her own eye, "Oh, that. Well, uh, I decided I don't really want to hang around with Joelle anymore. She, uh, she took it really well."

"Obviously."

"Hey, it's not so bad. I mean, I dodged most of what she threw, got away with just a couple scrapes. Her torchin' my guitar was unfortunate … but I guess I'll just have to save up my pennies for a new one."

"Your guitar? Wade, I'm so sorry."

"You bein' sarcastic?"

"What? No, of course not. I am legitimately sorry."  _And guilty, since I'm the reason she torched it._

He smiled at her, "Thanks."

She did no know what to say to him. He was just standing there being Wade, the Wade who apparently couldn't stop thinking about her, who had dumped Joelle for her, who had apparently bought a new shirt to impress her. Seeing it, she was impressed. It looked nice on him. It looked like he had fixed his hair up a little too.  _Wow, he must really like me._ Understatement.

Unable to come up with anything to say, she just nodded as he poured her wine, "On the house."

"Thanks." This was insane. Since when did she not know what to say? Even when she said the totally, completely wrong thing, she always said something. And this was Wade. If she couldn't talk openly to him … but he wasn't just Wade anymore. Was he? "Nice shirt."

He smiled, "Thanks."

"Is it new?"

"Yeah. I just, ya know, wanted a change." She nodded, "So, how's your night been?"

She shrugged, "Well, nothing was hurled at me, so I guess better than yours. But, I am nursing some … emotional wounds."

"Sorry to hear that."

She sighed. If she couldn't vent to Wade, then who could she vent to, "I just missed having a girlfriend."

"Zoe, a friend's a friend. Male? Female? Who gives a damn? You got Lavon. You got George Tucker. As long as you got somebody to back you in a knife fight, you're doin' all right in my book."

"And you." She said a little nervously.

"What?" She didn't know if he didn't understand, or if he just hadn't heard her. She had been a little on the quiet side when she said it, but she had a feeling that he would be confused anyway. It had been a fairly vague comment.

"I've got you. Right?"

He smiled at her warmly, "Yeah Doc, you got me." Something about his smile and the gentle tone in his voice gave her goose bumps.

Before she had time to analyze it, she heard laughing coming from the entrance. AnnaBeth and The Belles had come into the building. Zoe couldn't deal with this right now, "I'll be in the corner. I'll take the whole bottle." He handed it to her, and she started for the corner, then thought better of it, "On second thought, I think I'll just head home. When do you get off work?"

"Why?" he asked, his expression curious.

She smiled, "Because I don't think I need alcohol right now. I just need a good friend to talk to."

He smiled, "Shelley," he said, turning to his coworker, "Can you cover the rest of my shift."

At first, it looked like Shelley might say no, but then she shrugged, "Fine. But you owe me." He nodded and headed out from behind the counter.

"You need a lift?"

"Well, considering I don't have a car and I walked here, I'd say the probable answer to that question is yes." Wade chuckled as he unlocked the door. He held it open for her, which she noticed. "Thanks. And thanks for taking off early for me. I appreciate it."

"No big deal." He said as he started up the car.

"It kind of is." He looked over at her, "I mean, you're always doing all these nice things for me, and I know I don't always say thank you or seem to grateful, but, I just want you to know, I notice. I notice all the stuff you do for me, and I appreciate it."

He chuckled awkwardly, "Um, gee, thanks Doc."

"You're welcome. And Wade."

"Hm?"

"I think you made the right decision about Joelle. You deserve more than her. You should be with somebody who really appreciates you for all that you are, and who is worth more than some slutty trailer trash."

"Never thought of you as the catty type doc."

She laughed, "I'm not. I'm just saying … that you're a really great guy, and a great friend, who has a lot to offer. And you deserve somebody really great, who has a lot to offer you, and who can see how much you have to offer them. Someone who sees beyond the sexcapades. Someone who notices the little things you do for her."

"Yeah, somehow, I don't see that happenin' doc."

Zoe shrugged, smirking, "Well, never say never."

 


End file.
